Silence In The Answer
by Simply Complex Mind
Summary: Okay, so what would Twilight be like if Bella came to Forks for medical treatment as well as for her mother? R&R, please, my first real fan fic! Rated T for...stuff in later chapters, will be ExB fluffiness later! HIATUS
1. Broken

I stepped off of my plane into the loud, bustling airport. Looking out through the windows stepped high against the walls, I could see the wind and rain swirling around in a chaotic dance against the dark gray backdrop that was the Seattle cloud cover. _Of course_, I sighed; _if it's this bad here then it'll be no better in Forks_. Sighing again, I began scanning the crowd for my father, Charlie. I spotted him by a nearby pillar: and, of course, he had the same concerned, sympathetic look that all adults gave me. Hmm… maybe I should explain. I have leukemia. My doctor found it three months ago, and as it turns out, Forks hospital offers a doctor who specializes in my treatment.

_I didn't want to burden Renee_, I kept reminding myself, like a never ending mantra running it's course through my mind. I loved her too much to make her go through that with me, so I insisted that she stay behind in Phoenix with her newly wed husband, Phil. To be honest, I hated the cold and the wet, so it was a mark of how much I truly cared for my mother when I refused point-blank to let her come with me. Instead, I'd be toughing it out in Forks with Charlie, my dad. Speaking of which…

" Bella!" he stepped quickly up towards me, standing awkwardly; he seemed to be appraising our 'relationship' before he finally decided to hug me gently. "How was your flight?" he inquired.

"Fine" I responded, nonchalant.

He hurried me across the storming parking lot (once we got out of that hell hole of an airport) and opened the door to his cruiser for me. Then, he grabbed my one suitcase from where it stood on the ground next to the car and slid it neatly into the back seat of his cruiser. The hour long drive to Forks was quite and uneventful. I was okay with that, though: I could tell that he felt a bit awkward, to say the least, about the entire ordeal of my coming to live with him. However, he didn't feel the need to fill the silence with small talk chattering as Renee normally did. For that I was grateful. So, instead I was free to pull my legs up to my chin, curling up into a warm ball on the car seat.

"So…" Charlie began, barley above a mumble, "I know that you'll be needing a car for getting to school and…other things." He paused. I knew that, by what he left unspoken, he was also talking about my appointments.

" Yeah, I've been saving up my money for awhile now, I'll probably start looking tomorrow," I murmured in response, my eyes closed. I felt Charlie shift in the drivers seat, and he responded, as we pulled up to the front of the house:

" Actually, I took the, ah, liberty to buy you a truck" My eyes snapped open as I saw it parked in the driveway. It looked old and was a rusty shade of red. I loved it immediately.

"Um…thank you Ch-dad." I said, a little flustered. It wasn't something that I suspected, and I certainly didn't like surprises, but it certainly was a welcome thought to know that I didn't have to walk a mile everyday in the rain just to get to school. For that, I was thankful.

As I had sat staring lovingly at my nee truck, Charlie had gotten out of the car, gotten my solitary luggage, and was just opening my door for me. He still had the same tense look on his face, I noticed. I knew that this was as strange for him as it was for me. I rarely came up to Forks, let alone saw my father, seeing as we only got together for two weeks in California during the summer holidays every year. I walked up the porch and into the house, following Charlie up the stairs to what was presumably my room; I scanned it in silence, taking in the bed and computer, not to mention the wooden rocking chair that remained from my childhood years, when I lived in this house full time with both my mother _and_ father.

"Well, I'm going to order something for dinner… pizza sound good?" he asked. I nodded mutely, then responded with "I think that I'm going to take a quick shower, just call me when it gets here". Charlie nodded back and clumped down the stairs to the phone. I unzipped my suitcase and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and my bag of toiletries. Then, I headed to the bathroom. The warm water spouting out of the shower head relaxed my muscles and the familiar scent of my strawberry shampoo calmed my nerves. As I got out of the shower, I wrapped a fluffy white towel around myself and pondered my reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror: pale skin, brown eyes and hair. However, ever since being put on medication, I had lost about ten pounds and too much sleep to count: the result was an unhealthily thin body and dark, bruise like shadows under my eyes. I sighed and quickly pulled on my pajamas and raked a brush through my wet hair. I grimaced once more at my reflection and attempted to hurry down the stairs; however, I only got three feet; you see, I am notoriously clumsy and I've landed myself in the ER with no more help that my own feet. In my rush, my foot got caught at the beginning of the banister. _Lovely, _I thought fleetingly, trying to make a quick grab at the banister to catch myself. Of course, I had no such luck and went tumbling down the stairs with a thud.

I heard an anxious voice shout "Bella!" before everything went black. (AN: AHA! You thought that I'd stop here, didn't you? Even _I'm_ not _that _cruel…)

I tried to open my eyes, but it felt as if I were trying to lift 800-pound weights with my lids. I became more aware of a faint beeping sound and the scuffle of quiet footsteps. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking heavily as the ceiling, walls, and starched white sheets came into focus. I let out a soft groan as my little scene came back to my memory and the pain in my legs came in full force.

"Bella?" I heard a voice ask softly. I jumped at the musical sound and heard my heart rate hitch on the monitor. I looked quickly to my left and felt my pupils expand in wonder. Before me stood at tall man, no older than thirty; he had soft blond hair and pale white skin, with amber eyes that shone with worry. His perfect brow was creased slightly and his perfect lips were graced into a gentle smile. I realized with a shock that this model must be a doctor, seeing as he was wearing a white lab coat. I blinked slowly at him, taking in his appearance. I vaguely wondered who this man was. As if hearing my thoughts, he answered me before I had to ask the question.

"My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Your father brought you in a few hours ago. He said that you feel down the stairs in your house. Fortunately, you didn't do too much damage; you sprained your knees a bit, but they'll be fine in about a week. But you really should be more careful, Bella.". He chuckled softly at my bewildered expression. " Don't worry, you'll be able to go to school tomorrow… if you feel up to it, that is."

He knew. He knew about my 'illness', for lack of a better term. He must have seen the tension in my expression, because he suddenly became serious. "Bella," he began. I marveled vaguely at how he knew that I preferred 'Bella' to my full name. The thought was pushed aside by what he said next.

"I'm going to be your doctor while you receive your… treatment here". I nodded my head weakly in response.

"I understand."

"Yes, well, you're free to go right now, your father just went down to the cafeteria about ten minutes ago- oh, never mind, he's already back." Dr. Cullen said brightly as Charlie came in the door.

"Bella!" he rushed over to me as I sat up and unclipped the heart monitor…thing from my finger. " Are you alright? Do you-"

"I'm fine, dad." I cut him off, sliding down from the bed.

I gave him and Dr. Cullen a reassuring smile and reached out to shake hands with the doctor. He seemed slightly taken aback, but hesitantly grasped my hand gently but firmly. I quickly hid my shock, but I couldn't help wondering: his hand felt like ice, like he'd spent hours with his arms in a snow drift. Dr. Cullen left behind us, saying that he would come with my me and my father to sign me out. I could tell that Dr. Cullen was truly dedicated to his job, seeing as how he made sure that his patients were fully taken care of up until the time they left. My dad signed me out as Dr. Cullen handed me a slip of paper, saying that they were the dates for my next few appointments. I felt my stomach flip and my heartbeat speed up erratically. I was grateful that I was no longer hooked up to the monitor and that no one besides myself could hear my nervousness. But, for some strange reason, Dr. Cullen looked at me in slight alarm, almost as if he _could_ hear it…

(AN: This is Bella's first day of school. To avoid redundancy, I'm going to skip to the Biology scene, which will be only slightly different. Everything up to that point happened as it did in the book.)

As I scanned the classroom, I saw that the only available seat was next to a pale boy with copper hair.

_Edward Cullen_, I thought.

Great. Really fabulous. There wasn't a doubt about it: he was just as pale and just as handsome as Dr. Cullen. They _had _to be related, there was no way that they weren't. I stumbled slowly to the seat next to him. I sat down and looked up, glancing at him through my pereperal vision: what I saw made me jump and stare at him. He was glaring at me, like I was… _Diseased_, I thought bitterly. Dr. Cullen had told him that I was sick. And Edward thought that I was disgusting and that he would catch it. I noticed him scoot his chair away from me and lean as far as he could in the opposite direction of myself. I saw him clench his fist on his knee and glare malevolently at the board. I took my hair and moved it to the side of my face, making a curtain between Edward and myself. It did no good; I could feel his hate for me, radiating off of him like heat. I could feel a familiar burning at the corners of my eyes. _Stupid!, _I shouted at myself. I hated it, my tear ducts seemed to be directly connected to my anger. I stared ahead at the board, blankly praying that there would be a fire drill, an earthquake, something to get me out of here. Instead, I started to feel the familiar ache in my stomach.

"Great…"I mumbled. Edward turned his head ever so slightly in my direction, still glaring at me with… black eyes? I stared back, as though entranced. Luckily the bell rang right then, and Edward stood up and left in a movement so fluidly fast that he was out of the door before anyone else could comprehend that the bell had rung. Blinking back my tears angrily, I pushed my way right after him, slamming into the door frame as I went. I could fell the bruise forming as I stumbled down the hallway, but I didn't care. All I knew was that I wanted to get out of this school.

I rushed to the gym and practically jumped into my PE clothes. I rushed out to the gyms to discover I was the first in there. As more students filtered in, Mike waved at me and called me over. I smiled weakly and went over.

"So, what was up with Cullen in Biology? I've never seen him act like that towards someone before." he said nonchalantly. I shrugged. "Well," Mike responded to my silent answer, "if I'd sat next to you, I wouldn't have acted like that."

"Thanks." I said nervously. As it turns out, we were playing badminton . Thankfully, Mike volunteered ( very gallantly, I might add) to be my partner/protector, seeing as I'm a danger to not only myself put everyone in a ten foot range when I play sports. When PE was over, I rushed back into the changing room and jumped back into my clothes again before bolting to the parking lot.

As I slid into the cab of my truck, I let out a sigh of relief: finally, something familiar that _didn't _hate me. As soon as the relief came, it was replaced by anger. _I can't believe that my own doctor would tell his family about me! He must've known that we'd be going to school together, he just had to feel the need to expose my secrets! Does he __**think**__ that I want the world to know? The absolute nerve, I can't believe this. I am so sick of…_

I went off on my tirade, safe inside my own head. Thank god no one could expose what was in _there_… (at least, not without my consent). Unfortunately, it was right about then that I remembered that I had to turn in that slip to Ms. Cope. I reluctantly slid out of my seat, slamming the door behind me. I hurried up to the office, wind and rain lashing at my face. As I stepped into the office, I froze: there was Edward, trying to persuade a flustered Ms. Cope into switching him out of fifth period Biology. The wind from the shutting door made my hair fan out around me, and Edward seemed to somehow sense my presense. He turned around slowly, glaring at me. He turned, muttered something unintelligible to Ms. Cope, then pivoted around and left, all in one lithe movement. I muttered a "here" to Ms. Cope, pushing the form into her hand and spun around, storming out of the small office. I stepped out into the cold again, seething. Then, it was replaced by resentment and fear. Why did he hate me? It wasn't my fault that I was sick. And why did he look at me like he was contemplating ways to kill me on the spot?

Edward wasn't there for the rest of the week.

Tuesday through Thursday passed by in a dull grey swirl, Edward's absense being the only thing that caught my attention. Thursday night, I was sitting at the desk in my room, fidgeting, still pondering over Edward's hatefulness. I'd long ago finished my homework, and dinner had since come to pass. I'd taken a shower, and yet it was still only 9:05. I looked up from my little self-game of thumb war, to see a pink slip folded neatly in the center. I picked it up curiously, feeling my stomach drop when I realized what it was: it was a list of my next three appointments, the first being tomorrow evening around six. I barely noticed what happened at school the next day, let alone what people said to me. When I got home, I didn't know what to do with myself. I'd finished my math and science in class, and I'd already read the book set to us in English (_Romeo and Juliet_); so, I made dinner (tacos) and ate mine. After I put away the supplies, I proceeded to stare out the kitchen window until I heard Charlie at around 5:30.

"Hey Bells!" he called from the living room. I heard the clunk of his boots as he took them off and the scrape of his vest against the door of the hall closet as he put it away. "Did you make dinner? It smells- what's this?". He'd walked in to see me putting on my coat and picking up the keys to my truck. I started buttoning up my jacket.

" I made tacos, the meat and stuff is in the fridge", I responded without looking up.

" But… where are you going?" he asked, looking pointedly at the keys clutched in my hand. I flushed at him, seeing that he didn't know where I was going or why.

"I…h-have an appointment with Dr. Cullen" I winced slightly as his expression turned to first shock and then back to the usual tense-sympathy that I normally received from adults who knew about me being sick. Which, as I had concluded on Monday, was all of my teachers. I caught them all shooting me furtive glances that held the same tense-sympathy that Charlie was demonstrating this very moment.

" Alright then… ah, I'll leave the porch light on for you"

"Thanks." I muttered, looking at the ground as I walked out of the suddenly stuffy kitchen.

I hopped into my truck and cranked up the heat. _You can do this _I kept saying to myself, willing my eyes to not tear up. I drove on the freeway, only the sound of my truck punctuating my thoughts. I found the hospital easily, but I sat in the parking lot for ten minutes before I actually felt ready to face the doctor. I trudged across the lot and into the automatic-doored building. Looking at the map, I saw that Dr. Cullen was on the second floor. I got into the elevator and punched the number two rather forcefully. Dr. Cullen's office was only one of five on the second floor, so it wasn't too difficult to find. I found it and walked into the waiting room. It was empty. For some strange reason, I had this sneaking suspicion that others' appointments had been planned around mine. This only increased my trepidation, despite the kind disposition of the secretary who smiled at me when I told her that I was there. I was about ten minutes early, so I picked up a magazine, flipping through it without even noticing that it was _Sports Illustrated_. I was too nervous about this, I could taste the bile that I was trying to supress.

" Bella?" I jumped when the motherly-looking nurse called my name. She smiled tentatively and stepped aside so that I could pass through the door. I went down the small hallway and entered the office as the same nurse said, "The doctor will be with you shortly." She closed the door with a small _click _and I sat down on the chair. I looked around to see that the walls were painted a warm burgundy with a warm beige carpet. A painting of a moonlit river scene was on the far wall and the black pleather cot was already covered in issue paper. The sink and cabinets were a polished-looking brown, as was the door. When the door opened, my eyes flashed to the person who entered. Blonde hair, pale skin, graceful movements: yes, it was Dr. Cullen, and there was no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Edward was his son.

"Good evening Bella, how are you?" he asked as he closed the door softly.

"Fine." I responded automatically, my own voice almost as soft as the closing door. We went through the usual: apparently, this first appointment was just a check up, we wouldn't be starting the actual treatment until the next appointment. I started to shake, however, when he toke some blood from my arm. Dr. Culen smiled a bit at that, but I hardly noticed as he wrapped the tourniquet around my upper arm and took the blood. In fact, it was the fastest blood test that I'd ever taken, I didn't even noticed it was done when he said that I could look. I saw the band aid on my arm and shakily got down from the cot, Dr. Cullen stepping to the door to help me out. When we were in the waiting room, I stopped. Dr. Cullen looked around at me, curiosity playing in his golden eyes. I spoke up, my voice a little shaky.

"Dr. Cullen?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I…" I paused, and then continued," I.. well, did you tell anyone about, erm, me?". I could tell that he understood what I was talking about.

"No, of course not" he answered, "doctor-patient confidentiality, you know. Why do you ask?"

"Well… you have a son, Edward, right?". He nodded." Well, he was.. I dunno, looking at me like I was-diseased, I mean, even though I am. But he just looked like he hated me, like I should die, and I--" I forced myself to stop, I was rambling." And, see, I wanted to know if you… told him."

"No, of course not, Bella." he told me, but I could sense that something seemed to be troubling him.


	2. Shaken

_**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Twilight. D:**_

_**Author's Note: For those of you who haven't caught on,**_

_**- No, Edward doesn't hate Bella because she has leukemia; it's still her blood that attracts him to her.**_

_**- Yes, however, Edward DOES know about Bella being sick: he read Carlisle's mind when he was thinking about it. So, naturally,**_

_**-All of the Cullen's now know about Bella.**_

I sat, swiveling idly in the chair in front of my computer. Thinking. Just thinking. If Dr. Cullen hadn't told Edward about me being sick, then why did he hate me? Was it because I was new? Or did he have some strange complex against girls who preferred reading over shopping? But what if he _had _found out, on accident or something? Maybe he overheard some of my teachers talking about me… maybe. Or maybe Dr. Cullen lied. No. That just wasn't possible. I'd know if he was lying. I'd just _know._

I tried desperately to find something that would clue me in to Edward's behavior. No such luck so far, how ever. So, instead, I stared blankly at the screen of my computer. It fascinated me, really: how could one person be so different? I mean, according to Jessica, all of the Cullen's were adopted. But, as far as I had seen, Edward and Dr. Cullen looked very much alike: they even had the same colored eyes! Not to mention that all of the Cullen children had strikingly good looks like their father. I'd never met their mother, but something told me that she would be no different than the rest.

I sighed and pushed back from my computer desk. I ambled over to my bed and yelped when I saw the time on my alarm clock; it was six in the morning. I'd actually spent the entire night awake, contemplating Edward's motives. I sighed again and decided that I might as well get ready for school. It's not like I had anything better to do. So, with that said, I grabbed my bag of toiletries and marched into the bathroom.

I again examined my appearance in the mirror. After toying with my rats-nest hair, I decided to just rake a brush through it and pull it up into a pony tail. I pulled on a shirt, sweater, and pants hurriedly. However, as I walked carefully downstairs, I finally looked out the window and let out a growl of exasperation: Great, it was snowing. Apparently, I'd spent more time playing pro wrestler with my hair than I thought, because it was already seven-thirty. I snatched up an apple from the basket on the counter and hurried out the door, grabbing my truck keys on the way. Of course, it was freezing outside. I immediately regretted not grabbing a hat and scarf. _Oh well _I thought to myself glumly; I had to hurry, or else I'd be late.

But when I got to my truck, I stopped. I walked slowly and looked at the tires. I was amazed: someone had put snow chains on them. I almost started crying. I couldn't believe that my dad, someone who I hardly knew, would take the time to put the chains on my tires. No. I couldn't cry. I bit my lip as I hopped into the truck and started the ignition. I cranked up the heat like usual, setting it to full blast. I noticed vaguely that I needed to get gas, I was practically running on empty. Lucky for me, I got to school without a hitch. Thankfully, I also managed to get to my first class on time, not to mention without slipping on any ice or snow. But, I was cold.

I groaned internally as I approached my first class, English. The teacher was late (something about sliding on the ice into a small snow drift with their car) and would be minorly detained. Again, with my horrible luck, the heating in the English building chose to break today of all days. Of course, everyone else was perfectly fine: they all had heavy coats, scarves, hats, and gloves. Of course, I only had a sweater and rain jacket, so I was still shivering when I took my seat; we were let in the room by Ms. Cope. Everyone else around me was chattering happily as I focused on not getting hypothermia, shivering violently.

As I was in the middle of cursing the snow, I felt a presence next to me. I looked quickly to the right and saw none other than Alice Cullen, looking at me with a concerned expression. I could tell from the underlying tensity that she knew about my being sick. However, instead of bringing it up or mocking me for that (or not having a heavier jacket), she merely said, "Are you okay?"

I nodded my head and replied shakily, "I'm fine. Just fine…" I let my voice trail off, seeing as I was focusing more on not dying of frostbite. She surprised me, however, at what she did next: in one fluid movement, she pulled off her own hat, scarf, and gloves and slip them onto me. I stared at her in shock and was about to protest when she said, "No, really, it's alright. I don't need them."

With that, she drifted away: and when I say drifted, I mean that she actually looked like she was floating along. It was them that I noticed that she wasn't wearing a coat, just a lilac knitted turtleneck. I immediately felt guilty about Alice giving me her hat, scarf, and gloves. However, at that moment, the teacher walked in, so I couldn't give them back. When the bell rang half an hour later, she flowed out of the room so quickly that I hadn't a chance to give her clothes back.

The rest of the day zoomed by, so it seemed as if I didn't have enough time to form my resolve, but I held firm: at lunch, I would walk up to the Cullen's table and give Alice back her things. When I walked into the lunchroom, I could see Emmet and Jasper laughing, trying to shake their wet hair on the girls; Edward was chuckling softly, and as I went through the lunch line, I absently grabbed my second apple of the day, along with a peanut butter sandwich and lemonade. I paid for my food and somewhat stumbled slowly over to the other side of the room where the Cullen's sat. I could feel eyes watching me as I walked, but if I hadn't been so nervous about what I was about to do, I would've noticed that the entire student body was dead silent, watching my progression. The Cullen's seemed, oblivious, however; that is, until I was standing right next to their table. (AN: I wanted to stop here, but that would be evil)

"H-hi," I stammered, "I w-wanted to give you back your hat and gloves an scarf, Alice. Thank you, but they're yours, and I noticed that you don't have a jacket, and--" I stopped and took a deep breath, blushing: I was rambling. "Anyway, I thought you'd want your stuff back." I laid her hat and stuff out on the table. The Cullen's looked positively staggered: I blushed more, cursing my red cheeks. Alice was the first one to stop staring at me in shock, so she answered.

"Thank you. Why don't you sit with us today, Bella?" I noted that the only free seat was next to none other than Edward Cullen himself. As I sat down, Alice cracked me a genuine smile, and I heard a collective gasp from everyone else in the room. When I was settles, Emmet, Alice, and Jasper continued their conversation about a snow fight that they were going to have after school. I glanced to my left, surreptitiously, before turning all the way around: Edward was staring at me. Not with hostility, as he had last Monday, but with concern in his eyes and that cursed tense-sympathy on his face (which, I also noted, he was trying to hid). I immediately felt myself become light headed, my stomach churning: there wasn't a chance of me eating lunch now.

For some reason, it all caught up with me in this moment; that people who didn't even know me pitied me, how I was going to die. I was going to die. Probably before this next Christmas. I felt goose bumps run up my arms and legs, spreading across my back and stomach. I felt my face blanch and my breathing become shallow. I wanted nothing more than to spill my guts right here and now- both literally and metaphorically. Suddenly, a sharp pain in my right arm became apparent and my heart accelerated. _No, _I thought_, not now. Why does the pain have to start now? _

It took me about a split second to realized that I was falling.

_**(AN: BWAHAHAHHAHAH! I was going to stop her, but I couldn't stop my fingers from typing. : 3 Lucky you.)**_

The room tilted first left, then right, the walls growing bright and them dark. My breath caught in my throat and my breathing hitched, becoming uneven. I slumped forward, expecting to fall off of the hard plastic chair. Instead, I felt something remarkably like a brick wall meet me as my body slumped forward. I heard a chair scrape and Alice say "Bella!" in an alarmed voice. My eyes were wide and I felt like I couldn't blink. The lunchroom erupted in a tumult of noise around me, cries of "Get the nurse!", "Call 911!", "What happened?!" buzzing in my ears. The only thing that felt stable was the wall that I was leaning against. I felt it move slightly, and then I realized: I had just pretty much passed out on Edward's chest. I felt two strong, statue-like arms twine around me, lifting me up and walking away quickly. Surprisingly, the movement of his body didn't upset me at all: it was so fluid, it was almost like standing still.

I felt the blast of cold air as we stepped outside. A strange humming was coming from somewhere above me, although I couldn't locate the source in my delirious state. I was fighting against the blackness that was dotting my vision, threatening to overtake me. The snow that was falling on my face and neck felt soothing, for the first time in my life. I knew we were in the office when I felt the rush of warmth and hear several women's voices exclaiming; finally, I couldn't fight the pain in my arm or the darkness trying to snatch me. I muttered a seemingly inaudible "I'm sorry". I felt Edward snap his face downward, watching as my eyes began to close. The lamps in the office were blinking at me, friendly, like waving for me to come to them. I heard a musical velvety smooth voice call out "Bella? Bella!". but it sounded distorted, like I was under water. Deep water. I sighed an just let go of everything for the time being.

**Author's Note: So, what do you think? I'll probably start the next chapter right after I post this one, so no worries, I'll post it soon! (keep in mind that I DO have homework to do.)**


	3. Fall To Pieces

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Twilight

* * *

**

I groaned, waking up. I felt stiff, like I'd slept for a day or more. I heard the beep of a heart monitor for the second time in less than two weeks. Great. If I keep this up, the people at this hospital will know me as well as the doctors and nurses back in Phoenix. I felt totally hideous: my eyes felt like they were glued together, my head felt like there was a fuzzy something floating around my brain, my body felt thick and useless. I groggily moved my arm and felt a tug. Oh, lovely, an IV. I must have really done some damage to myself. I finally opened my eyes and nearly had a heart attack at what I saw.

Edward was sitting in a yellow plastic chair next to me, his head in his hands with his elbows propped up on his knees. I blinked a few times, trying and failing to clear the fog that had settled over my brain. The lights in the hospital room were blinking at me, just like the one's in the… oh no. I blushed as my little incident came flooding back. Edward looked up suddenly, as if he could sense the rising heat in my cheeks and soon to be face. His eyes snapped up to my face, and, in a movement so fast that I almost missed it, he was standing. His beautiful face was etched with concern, his alabaster brow furrowed in contemplation, and his eyes burning with a strange intensity that made it impossible to look away.

"Bella. Are you okay? What am I saying? Of course you're not alright! You've been unconscious for a day, and it's--" he stopped suddenly, as if he just realized that I was watching, silently, as he paced back and forth across the white tile. He turned around and sat back down next to me, leaning in towards my bed. "I was so… worried. I..I…" For the first time ever, I saw sadness cross his face. And the strange thing was that I hated it. No angel such as this one should ever be in such pain.

" No ..It…", I started in a coarse whisper, "it's my fault, I shouldn't've--"

"What are you talking about? You did nothing wrong, Bella. It was me, I--"

"No Edward, you're--", I sighed: I couldn't think of anything to say to him to make him feel better. I was focusing on staying awake right now. So, instead (and more to keep myself awake), I asked the question that I hated the most. "So… how did you find out?"

"What?". He looked totally perplexed, as if I had caught him off guard completely. I sighed again.

"I mean, did Carlisle tell you, or did one of the teachers, or…?" I asked slowly. I saw the comprehension dawn on his statue-like face. Then, his expression became extremely soft and gentle, as though he could break me by looking at me the wrong way. Edward stared into my eyes deeply with his own striking, surprisingly tender amber ones.

" Bella, Carlisle didn't tell me about you having leukemia." I winced. "Nor did any of your teachers." he added, "I… figured it out on my own. That would fit, I suppose…" he mused quietly. I looked at him, and now it was my turn to look perplexed. I had no idea how he found out if no one had said anything to him about it. However, my train of thought was interrupted with what Edward said next.

"So, what are you sorry about? Right before you passed out, you said 'I'm sorry'…"

I bit my lip. I was hoping he wouldn't ask me that. I tried to think of a way out, but my head was still too foggy to think straight. I had no choice but to answer, and I might as well do it truthfully.

"I… I'm sorry for… for falling to pieces on you like that. It was the way that you looked at me, I just knew that you knew that I'm sick. Everything just caught up with me, how people that don't even know me have sympathy for me, how I'm going to die. I'm going to die Edward, I'm going to _die_. I know that everyone does at some point, but I probably won't even make it past next Christmas. That's not even a full year! Edward, I don't… I don't want to die! I'm scared, okay? I'm scared, I--" I would have continued, but I was already crying too hard to see clearly, and I could hardly talk with my throat as constricted as it was.

But I didn't care. Right now, in this room, alone with Edward, someone who I hardly knew: I. Didn't. Care. I was venting all of my frustration and anger and fear into someone who I had known for under a month, but I didn't care anymore. But what surprised me the most was Edward's reaction to my venting. Ordinarily, you'd think that a person would sit in stunned silence and stare at you as if you had purple skin. But what Edward did caught me totally off guard.

He stood up again, but this time he leaned across to me and, very gently, wiped away all of my tears. He then proceeded to lift me up softly, just ever so slightly, so that he could wrap his arms around me. The next thing I knew, Edward was on the bed with me and I was sobbing hysterically against his stone-like chest. He was rubbing soothing circles on my back with his right hand. His left hand was holding my head gently to his chest and stroking my hair slowly, his head bent down to the top of my own. He whispered softly, reassuringly, but I didn't catch any of it. I was sobbing to hard to care about the coldness of his skin, the way that he held me, all I knew was that I was getting some of the comfort that I had needed for a long time.

"Shh, Bella, it's okay, you're going to be okay…", he murmured. This just made me cry harder. Considering how much I was crying, I was shocked that Edward could understand me.

"No, it's not okay!", I choked out, "I'm going to die, I'm going to leave everyone that I love. What did I do? Why am I the one that has to die like this, in this pain? Emotionally and physically! Knowing that I'm slowly dying more and more everyday? Nobody deserves this Edward, nobody!" My voice had risen to hysteria. But, as Edward continued to try to calm me, I found that it was working: my sobbing shrank to whimpering, and finally to silent tears that eventually stopped. When Edward noticed this, he wrapped both of his arms around me a vice-like hug, like he would never let me go.

I woke with a start. In my own bed. _Finally_. I was so glad that I'd been able to come home (FINALLY) after two days in the hospital. Of course, I'd been so wasted from the various meds that had been pumped into my IV, I hadn't been able to do much except sleep all of yesterday. Then again, it **was **Saturday, so I wasn't exactly complaining about waking up at eight in the morning.

Stretching my stiff limbs, I winced slightly at the growing pain in my right arm. I was holding it tenderly as I made my way down the stairs. I could smell eggs, which was odd: Charlie didn't cook. At all. Let's just say that there's a reason why he's such good friends with the fire department…

So, it was odd for me to smell food cooking in this house if I wasn't making it. Oh, and Charlie left me a note on my desk saying that he'd be gone fishing all day. So, I basically knew that there was a strange someone in my house. I crept silently down the hall and picked up the history book laying on the floor. I walked slowly, fox-like, and peered around the corner surreptitiously. What I saw made my jaw and the book I was holding drop in surprise.

It was _Edward_. In my kitchen. Making me breakfast. He had a white apron tied around his waist, the sleeves of his pale blue sweater pushed up. I noticed that, while he wasn't as massive as Emmet, Edward was actually rather muscular. He was humming softly while he rinsed an egg beater in the sink. When he heard the dull _plunk_ of the book falling, he looked up in surprise. Edward walked over briskly and smirked down at me. His eyes were dancing with excitement, and he looked as though he was trying to suppress laughter.

"My, my, you're up early, aren't you?" he said in a mocking tone full of sarcasm. I was still too shocked to form and entirely coherent question, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

"What--? How--? How did… how the _heck_ did you get in my house?!" I babbled out. He merely looked down at me and chuckled. Instead of answering me, Edward took my hand and lead me to the table where there was a plate of scrambled eggs, toast, two pieces of bacon, and a glass of orange juice. I just kept gaping at it. I must have been doing that for a long time, because Edward moved from his seat across the table to a position next to me. He bent his head down and gently murmured, "You need to eat Bella.".

When I continued to stare open-mouthed at the table, Edward chuckled again. He took the fork from next to the plate and speared a piece of egg on it, bringing it slowly, almost reassuringly, to my mouth. He put it in and gently pushed my bottom jaw back to my top. Instead of resuming his seat, he took one next to me. I finally gathered enough sense to know that I was supposed to chew; and man, after being passed out for almost two days in the hospital, it sure feels great to eat something solid.

" As for how I got in your house," Edward said, chuckling slightly, "I used the spare key on your porch."

"Oh." was basically all that I could muster as I began to shove forkfuls of egg into my mouth. I was hungry, okay? But I did start to grow curious about this creature in front of me. I swallowed the last of my breakfast, looking up at him. His smug expression changed with what I asked next.

"What are you?"

Edward stared at me in shock for a moment, before answering me. "I was wondering when you'd ask."

* * *

**Author's not: Oh my, it's a CLIFFIE! Hahah, sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, hope you like it. I'll try to post chapter four sometime this week. Oh, and by the way, I am NOT copying another story. I think that mine is just similar to another fan fiction.**

**I promise to try to write a longer chapter next time! And thank you for the reviews, I LOVE them!**


	4. High On Life

_Author's Note: Sorry, I haven't had tiome to update lately! It's testing week, so I've got that and two projects laid on me, so I'm being spread a little thin right now. Hehe. . Anyway, I felt bad for not updating for so long, so I made a 3,000+ worded chapter. Yay! So, that said, I may not be able to update that much for awhile. But, be rest assured that I'm always considering plot options (mostly in PE) and I try to write at least a little bit every day._

_Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Twilight. It's so sad... BUT, I **did** use a load of dialog from chapter six in Twilight. it also is not mine._

* * *

I sat up suddenly in my bed, thinking. After Edward had 'slipped up' earlier, I'd been trying to analyze what he had meant when he said that he was a bad friend for me to have.

I'd come to a conclusion: he was dangerous. But no… he wasn't bad. Definitely not.

I growled in exasperation. It was only one in the afternoon. Unfortunately, Forks was small city: meaning that there weren't any parties to go to like back in Phoenix. I've been told repeatedly that I don't seem like a party girl, and I'm really not. I don't take drugs or drink, but there's just this great feeling of… release when you just dance, just let it go.

Back when I was in Phoenix, when I found out about me being sick, I'd go to raves practically every other weekend. It just felt so great to let go of all of my feelings and not care if I fell. I was thinking when my brain trilled suddenly: Jessica and the various other people at my lunch table had been passing around a rumor at lunch on Wednesday: there was supposed to be some big rave at Port Angeles around nine on Sunday. I made up my mind then and there: I was so there.

I hopped out of bed and started rushing around, getting dressed. The party may not be till tomorrow, but zI could still have fun. Grabbing my keys and jacket, I walked briskly to my truck and hopped in. I hadn't know where I was going, but the truck gave me an idea: I should go and visit Jacob Black, the one who built my truck.

The cloudy sky was a pale gray, wind whipping trees in all directions as I drove down to La Push. I searched around until I found the Black's little house; apparently, Jacob heard the familiar roar of his truck because he was running out to meet me before I'd even come to a full stop.

"Hi Bella!," he said enthusiastically. I felt myself grinning happily at him: I'd forgotten how infectious his cheerful disposition could be.

"Hi Jacob! Sorry, I know that I'm unannounced and everything…" I started, but I was cut off by Jacob waving his hand around happily, grinning wider than me, if that was possible. "It's fine, I'm just so happy to see you after so long! Come on inside. My dad's not home though, he's out fishing with Charlie you know," he chattered on happily, leading me inside the tiny home and to the kitchen. He took a seat at the miniscule table and I followed suit.

We chatted for about twenty minutes about school and friends. He asked me about my life in Phoenix, and I about how the building of his car was going. When we ran out of things to exchange small talk about, he asked me what I wanted to do.

"Hmm…," I said, "Say, do you have any good stories?"

"That depends. Do you like scary stories?" he asked with a serious tone.

"I love them," I said, trying to sound interested. It was better than talking about the weather. Jacob had a gentle smile playing on the edges of his lips.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from- the Quileutes, I mean?" Jacob demanded. I shook my head no, so he continued.

"Well, ther are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood- supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He smiled, shaking his head slightly, showing how little trust he put in these stories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves- and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them.

"Then there are the stories about the _cold ones_." His voice dropped a bit in volume. "The cold ones?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Jacob rolled his eyes at the last par.

"Anyway, my great-grandfather was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf- well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?" I asked, intigue layering my voice. Jacob nodded before responding.

"Only one." he paused, and thewn went on. "So you see, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did- they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." Jacob winked at me.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why…?" I way trying to disguise how seriously I was taking this little story.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get to hungry to resist." He paused for dramatic affect; it gave me a chance to ask a question.

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead. In fact there are some living here in Forks right now."

"What? You mean cold ones? Are they like the ones that you're great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused again. "They're the _same_ ones. There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived."

I shook off the shock of hearing my own doctor's name being mentioned in this context. I finally just asked:

"And what are they? What are the cold ones?"

Jacob smiled darkly before responding, "Blood drinkers, your people call them vampires."

I stared off at the wall opposite me. It all fit. Why the Cullens were so beautiful, why Edward (and probably the rest of his 'family') had such cold skin. What he meant about not being a good friend for me to have.

"You have goose bumps," Jacob laughed delightedly.

"You're a good storyteller," I said, still staring in shock and understanding at the kitchen wall.

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."

I was still totally staggered. "Don't worry, I won't give you away."

"I guess I just violated the treaty," he said, laughing again.

"I'll take it to the grave," I promised. I shivered, wondering just how soon that would be.

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"I won't, of course not. But, speaking of Charlie, I guess that I should be going. He can NOT cook." I stood up, and Jacob followed, leading me back through the living room and out of the house, to where my truck was parked of the curb.

"So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" he asked, his tone playful but flavored with a hint of worry. I finally turned and looked at him, smiling, in front of the door of my truck.

"No, I think you're very good at telling scary stories, though." I climbed into my truck as Jacob bid me good bye, telling me to stop bye anytime. I waved at him before turning 'round and driving back slowly to my house, trying not to think.

Okay, so trying not to think hadn't worked. I'd spent so long trying to fall asleep that I finally just took some rather unessecary cold medicine to help. However, when I woke up in the morning at around ten, my mind buzzing hysterically. When I figured out that I wasn't going to fall back asleep anytime soon, I hopped out of bed and walked to the bathroom to take a shower, bathroom bag and change of clothes in tow.

The shower took nowhere near as much time as I had hoped it would. I finished, changed, and even blow dried my hair until it was pin straight. However, by eleven thirty, I had run out of things to do in the bathroom, so I trudged back up to my room.

Of course, I finished my homework in a little over two hours, even though I had a load of make-up work and I was working as slowly as possible. I then had no choice. I couldn't put it off anymore. I turned on my slower-than-a-snail computer, swiveling around in my chair idly as I waited for the dial-up to finish. When it was done, I went to google and typed in 'vampire'. Of course, everything that I read was a load of ferrets. My connection was so slow that I didn't remember until it was five forty-five that I had a party to go to.

I quickly mapquest'd the location and printer it out. I raked a brush through my hair hurriedly, grabbed my coat and keys, and bolted out the door to my truck.

It took my a full two seconds to realized that the door was locked, so I unlocked it and got in. _Oh great_, I thought. The hour long drive (or in my case, hour and a half) to Port Angeles was going to be uninterrupted. Meaning that I'd have a lot of time on my hands to…

Think.

"Fabulous, really freaking fantastic," I said to myself. Ah well, might as well face it sometime. So, I began to focus.

The first thing on my List of Focusing was that I had to decide if what Jacob said about the Cullens was true. At first, my mind was screaming at me that it wasn't even plausible, it was impossible for vampires to exist. At least, that what happened. At first.

Then, I started to think of all the things that I had witnessed: the changing eye color, their inhuman beauty and similar looks for a completely adopted family, their pale, icy cold skin. But there was more, as I soon realized: really small things. How they never seemed to eat (at least at school), they're grace, the way that the Cullens spoke. How they were conviently absent on sunny days. I could see the line forming, every abnormality conecting with the only reason I could think of.

The Cullens were, in fact, vampires.

I shuddered at the thought of having to drink blood in order to sustain myself. Of course, I had an unually strong aversion to blood, seeing as how just the smell could make me sick. I blinked in surprise, looking up to see that I had entered the Port Angeles city limits. I hadn't even noticed the outside world getting steadily darker. I focused now on finding the place. It was down by the dock, in an old warehouse.

My truck pulled to a grating halt when I saw a small crowd of people standing outside of one such warehouse, talking excitedly to one another. I couldn't help it, I started to get that giddy feeling down in the pit of my stomach, the zeal showing clearly on my face.

I hopped out of my truck, hurrying to where the crowd was congregating. I just managed to slip in with them, barely escaping being squished into the door frame. When I made it in the make-shift club, there was pulsating trance music on. I looked down below me, from the balcony where I was standing: it was a huge mass of swirling strobe lights and converging bodies. I couldn't help but smile; I hurried down the steps, eager to get in some serious dancing.

The song changed right when I got onto the dance floor: a quick Japanese remix, with a euro beat. I smiled and started to spin round and round, circling around ecstatic faces; who said that you had to take drugs when you were at a rave?

I continued to swirl for what seemed like infinite moments. Suddenly, I spun around in the opposite direction, feeling eyes on the back of my head. I could have sworn that I saw a white flash somewhere on the balcony. However, the son then changed to one of my favorites by DJ Encore. I started to hop up and down a bit, spining with my arms held wide.

My expression was serene. I finally took down the hood of my jacket and pulled out my pony tail. I never wore my hair down, so it felt great to have it flow around my shoulders, dancing to the beat. I suddenly got a wild hair and threww off my jacket, quickly followed by my sweater.

I was spinning around and basically losing myself in the music. I danced in nothing but my jeans and t-shirt. I rarely ever wore short sleeves: it had to do with the fact that my arms were sickly pale and thin. My white skin practically glowed in the dark, and it was then that I noticed: I'd been crying silently. I opened my eyes, strobes dancing across the ceiling.

Bodies were grinding up next to me, and I suddenly felt to exposed. I couldn't find my sweatshirt, but I spotted my jacket about ten feet away, ricocheting off of people and the wall. I snatched it up quickly and hurried out a door to my right, my hair whipping out behind me. Bodies crushed against mine as I started to sob. _Get a grip_, I told myself. _You're being pathetic. Stop crying! Dammit.. Why do I always fall to pieces around people I don't know?!_

I burst into the icy not air and started to walk slowly to the dock, where I could think about life, including where mine was going and when it was going to end. I sat on the dock, hunched over so that the harsh wind was hitting my back instead of my face. My feet were hanging off the edge, swinging back and forth slowly. My frozen hands were tucked into my chest, trying to keep warm as I watched the water. The ocean's surface was unbearably calm, and it was because of that that I heard the footsteps behind me.

I turned to see four tall men staring at me, smiling evily. I jumped to my feet, but, of course, I couldn't anywhere: I was surrounded by four people and an ocean, all stronger than my feeble body. I blanched as one of them came forward rather menacingly, his red face inching nearer every second.

"Hello there. My, my, aren't you a pretty little girl. You shouldn't be all alone by yourself, though, you know? I guess that you could say that there are some bad people out therwe that would take advantage of that."

The red faced man leered at me, his cronies guffawing loudly behind him. At first, I thought of screaming as the man advanced farther in my direction. I quickly vetoed that, however, as I realized that if I could hear the pulsating music from where I stood, then nobody nearby would ever hear my scream.

Running was obviously out for obvious reasons. I began to tremble in fear.

"Stay away from me," I whispered. It came out hoarse from my crying.

"Oh now darlin', I won't hurt you… much," the red faced man said, chuckling darkly. His buddies immediately began to crowd around me, on of them grabbing my arms, pinning them behind me with one hand. I began to thrash and was about to scream anyways when this man's other hand came around to cover my mouth. I licked his hand, and he withdrew it in disgust. In those few seconds when my lips were free, I took a breath and shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"EDWARD!!!"

The men started to laugh again, saying that no one was coming to save me an d that I'd soon be forgotten anyway. My eyes were wrenching around wildly, searching for an escape. I started to kick my legs and writhe in my captors grip; it was all in vain. The same man who gripped my hands behind me picked me up and began carting me down the dock, towards the dark street.

I was screaming, though it was muffled by the hand clamped over my mouth. I did the first thing that instinct told me to do: bite down. Hard. I bit into the man's hand and he jumped back, yelping in pain and dropping me onto the ground. I landed flat on my face, my chest hitting the curb jutting out from the sidewalk. The wind had been knocked out of me, but I stilled tried to scramble away. No such luck.

The red-faced man made an angry sound, like a cat being stepped on. Before I could move than two feet, his fist collided with the side of my face. I went flying back to the ground. I was sure that I had a concussion now. In my dazed state, I thought that I heard a roar. You'd think that I'd be terrified out of my wits, but the gutural sound had the opposite affect.

I looked up, my head spinning sickeningly. What I saw me shocked me and brought tears of relief to my eyes: _Edward_.

His eyes were wild with livid fury. I noticed, rather dazedly, that they were black. He had one of the men in his hand, holding him about six inches of the ground. I vaguely noticed the other three heaped in a groaning pile about twenty feet away. They looked as if they'd been thrown there.

I looked up again in time to see Edward throw the final person carelessly on top of the pile. I struggled to catch what Edward was saying in a menacing whisper to the men.

"… and if you ever so much as look at her again, I will not hesitate to kill you filthy bags of scum."

The men seemed to take him seriously, for they all quickly jumped to their feet, pushing each other out of the way so that they could get away from Edward as soon as possible. They scrambled up the narrow, unlighted lane, turned the corner into the night.

When I looked back at Edward's face, what I saw made my heart freeze.

* * *

_Author's Note: Oh, cliffie! Sorry, had to do it. Anyway, will update as soon as I can. Read the above note for clarification. Please review, they make me feel like I have to keep going. ._


	5. Important News

Alright, first off, if you've read my Author's Notes, you know this: **I DID NOT COPY ANOTHER STORY**.

I have gotten a few messages and or reviews saying that I copied another author. **I DIDN'T**. The reason I wrote it was in the memory of my _Uncle_, who _died from cancer _barely two months ago; he had it in every bone in his body, so I used that to influence my story. I don't know who all of you are, but you also do not know me! I have a lot of my plate right now, including a neighbor who just died last week.

_I know that that's no excuse for my being upset right now, but I'm being stretched a little thin here_.

I'd truly appreciate if you would all stop yelling at me. I don't need anyone else, especially those that I do not know, to be yelling at me. I am truly sorry, but **I DID NOT COPY ANOTHER STORY**.

I came up with this on my own. I thought that people would enjoy reading my fan fiction as much as I enjoyed writing it. Of course, this is only my second published work on but I guess that I was wrong. If you wish to discuss this further, please feel free to send me a private message. Otherwise, I would really appreciate if you would all refrain from sending me hate reviews.

_I also haven't even read another story like this_.

Thank you.


	6. Everything

**Important Author's Note At The End! Please Read! VERY IMPORTANT!!! **

Last Time:

I looked up again in time to see Edward throw the final person carelessly on top of the pile. I struggled to catch what Edward was saying in a menacing whisper to the men.

"… and if you ever so much as look at her again, I will not hesitate to kill you filthy bags of scum."

The men seemed to take him seriously, for they all quickly jumped to their feet, pushing each other out of the way so that they could get away from Edward as soon as possible. They scrambled up the narrow, unlighted lane, turned the corner into the night.

When I looked back at Edward's face, what I saw made my heart freeze.

* * *

His features were murderously angry. My breathing turned shallow as he walked forward, inching closer very slowly. However, when he bent down to the level of my eyes, his expression was incredibly soft, although I thought that I caught an undercurrent of anger still lurking in his eyes.

Edward reached a hand out to me, gripping beneath my elbow to help me up. I staggered forward into his rock hard chest with an 'oof' on my part. He held me back about a foot and quickly removed his ice cold hands from me. Edward looked down at me now, concern plain in his eyes.

"Bella, are… are you alright?" he asked. I gave a shaky laugh, swaying slightly as I rubbed my forehead. _What a question_, I thought. I'd narrowly avoided being assaulted sexually by four men. I was just _freaking _peachy. In the end, I kept my sarcastic thoughts to myself. I looked up at Edward, rain glancing off of my face and bare arms; my jacket had since blown away somewhere. I shivered violently: it was, after all, practically below freezing out here.

Being the gentleman that he is, Edward swiftly shrugged off his own jacket and wrapped it around me, then proceeded to lead me away from the dock and freezing ocean. When we reached his car (about a hundred yards away from the pier), he opened my door and shut it for me once he saw that I was safe inside. Edward walked briskly around the front of the car and slid into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition as he did.

I put my head back against the seat, wrapping Edward's jacket around me more tightly. It smelled… fantastic. It wasn't a spice or musk, nor a type of cologne that I could tell. I inhaled slowly, trying to identify the strange scent. I stopped suddenly however, when I remembered what I had learned about his family. I decided to quell the desire to burst out with "I know that you're a vampire" right this moment, choosing to be more subtle.

I looked over towards Edward's face: the shadows under his eyes seemed lighter somehow, lavender instead of purple. Suddenly, Edward opened his mouth and began to speak. 

"Bella, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have left earlier, I should have told you… well, I should have protected you! I'm terrible. You were almost sexually assaulted. Maybe even killed! How could I--"

"Edward. Stop," I said, taking a deep breath. I clutched onto the jacket and continued. "Edward, it's not your fault. Nothing is. And… I'm sorry. So… so sorry."

Edward looked at me incredulously for a second.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, looking utterly nonplussed.

I swallowed and went on. "I… I know about you, Edward. And your family," I said in a quiet voice. I was looking down but noticed vaguely that the car had stopped moving. I looked up in time to see that we were parked outside of my house and that Edward was clutching the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white.

Edward exhaled sharply and said in a hard voice, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

I turned to glare at his immobile features. "That," I said, "is complete and utter _bull_."

Edward's face flashed up to mine, his eyes even more harsh than his tone. I recoiled slightly, pressing myself against the door. His expression softened, but his lips remained in a firm line. Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, I spoke again.

"Alright, fine," I said. "Perhaps I should explain to you. I know that you and your family are vampires Edward. I know that you and your family aren't really adopted. I also know that you think that you're a monster. I can see it in your face." My tone softened as I said the last sentence. I reached out, slowly, with my hand, toward his. I half expected him to move away. But he didn't. I touched the back of Edward's clenched right fist gingerly. He looked at me with sad, agonized eyes before letting go of the steering wheel and opening his door, stepping out into the night air. I scrambled to follow suit.

When I finally managed to open my door, I hopped out, stumbling slightly.

I was shocked to see Edward's back facing me, only a few feet away at the edge of the lawn, staring up at the sky, rain glancing off of his shoulders. I walked over to him, a bit unsteadily, pausing about a foot behind him. I heard Edward speaking in a low voice, barely above a whisper.

"No Bella, you don't understand…" he said, turning with extreme slowness to face me. His eyes found mine, his golden ones smoldering into my brown ones.

"I _am_ a monster. And no one… no one, not even you, can change that."

* * *

Hello all of my dedicated readers! It's good to talk to you all again! I'd just like to clarify a few things:

No, I am not, repeat, **AM NOT** discontinuing SITA, contrary to popular belief. It's still going strong, no worries!  
I cleared up the whole hate mail/review thing with Edward Cullen Luver. All is well, and I don't believe that she is taking down her story. I encouraged her not to and she got a bunch of reviewers who would be sad to see her story gone; we're all here author's right? Be nice!  
I'd also like to strongly encourage you all to **NOT SEND HATE MAIL!**

Also, I'd like to give an update!

I may not be able to update very much for awhile (STAR testing, finals, schoolwork, Romeo and Juliet, and all that good stuff. So, I'm a bit busy. XD

I also want to warn you all that **I will be gone July 20- August 6 this summer**. I'm going to Australia with the People To People Student Ambassador program, so I'll be gone for eighteen days. (AND I'll have my fifteenth birthday there, woot! .)

With that said, please enjoy this chapter! I realize that it's short, but I felt the need to update, so I just posted what I had. Sorry for the cliffie, hehe! **I'll try to make up for the short-ness with an ultra long chapter next time, kay?**

Please review! It helps encourage me!


	7. Middle Of The Night

Disclaimer: Honestly, how many of these have you read? Ah well. . . anyway, I do not own Twilight, just this story. : )

* * *

I blinked a few times. "E-Edward, what are you talking about?" I asked in a whisper. Asalways, his mood shifted suddenly, face contorted into a mask of disgust at… me? Or himself? He made a snorting sound and half-growled his response at me, eyes dark.

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about the fact that I'm a murderer; I may not hunt you humans, but that doesn't mean that I'm not tempted by you all. _You_ especially, Bella."

I stared on at him, my brow slightly furrowed, lips parted slightly. Edward went on, his words flowing out so quickly that I had to listen carefully in order to catch anything.

"When you first walked into that classroom, I thought that I was going to go mad. Your scent, it… it left me flabbergasted." His voice softened as did his eyes, although his face remained hard.

"I couldn't believe it, honestly. How could you, just a little girl, threaten everything that my family and I had worked for in these past years? A part of me wanted so much to just jump up in that class and drain you completely of your blood. But I fought it back, fought that deplorably disgusting monster that wanted nothing more than to kill you right on the spot. I told myself to think of my family, to think of the danger, the risk of exposure, that I would put them through.

"I battled with that… that despicable part of my mind. I kept up a constant string of reminders of why I was here in the first place. That I had self control, that I didn't want to be a monster. . . And yet here I am, putting not only myself and my family at risk of exposure, but also placing you in the path of danger."

At this, my frozen face turned mobile, and I had to smile. "Edward, I think that there's something that you don't quite understand fully. I'm in danger everyday-" I saw that he was about to interupt, so I added "-and not just what comes from my inability to walk without falling. What I'm talking about is. . . that. . . Edward. . ." My voice was barely a whisper now.

"Edward. . . I'm going to die, probably within the next year." My eyes were downcast, staring at the rain-speckled pavement, looking but not truly seeing. . .

The next thing that I knew, Edward was standing in front of me, lifting my chin gently with one finger. I looked up at his face, willing myself to not cry. _It's stupid, your not allowed to cry! _I told myself repeatedly, trying to convince myself that what I was saying was true.

My eyes searched for Edward's, and I found them, soft and liquid gold. "bella?" he said softly, so quietly that I almost didn't catch it. I blinked in response.

"I think that you should get inside. I don't want you to get sick from the rain." With that, hetook one arm and wound it around my shoulder, guiding me to the porch. I hardly reacted when he used the "hidden" house key, but instead looked up at him.

"Would you like to come in?" I questioned, uncertain and afraid that he wouldn't. Maybe he read this on my face, because he smiled down at me and said "I'd love to."

I shuddered violently when I stepped over the threshold and into the dark house. Apparently, I was colder than I thought. I threw Edward's jacket onto the coat rack, hurrying to turn on the heater. I turned the thermostat up to eighty, which is something that you're not normally supposed to do, but. . . Well, I'm cold!

I made my was to the sofa then, throwing myself onto it while Edward took a seat in the armchair. His expression was unfathomable, eye's unreadable. He stared at me openly as I blinked at him slowly in the dark gloom; I didn't mind, though. I had a feeling that, at this point, bright lights would do nothing but hurt my eyes anyway.

Darkness suited me just fine.

My blinking had become slower, farther apart, my breathing and heart rate even. I fought wearily against the exhaustion that was trying to drag me under.

"So. . ." I said, more to kep myself awake than anything else, but I was curious; I continued "tell me something. . ."

Edward cocked an eyebrow as response. I went on. "Alright, don't laugh, but. . . How can you come out in the daytime?" I said the last bit in a rush, my words blending together.

Edward finally cracked a smile. Grinning, he responded with a light chuckle.

"Myth."

"Burned by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Alergic to garlic?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

Up until this point, Edward had been grinning good naturedly. However, his expression became calculating before he responded. "Actually. . . I can't sleep." he admitted. I blinked a few times, trying to absorb that. He couldn't sleep? I had to clarify, just to make sure that I didn't misunderstand.

"You can't sleep?" I asked, my tone incredulous.

"Never." Edward said back. His expression was still calculating, his eyes dark. He looked up at me suddenly, a very gentle smile gracing his lips. "I think that you should go to bed, Bella."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, staring at him blearily while failing miserably at trying to hid how utterly drained I _really_ was. Edward's smile only grew wider at that. Then, suddenly, he was gone. I'd blinked, and the next thing that I knew Edward was gone and--

"HOLY CROW!" I screamed. Hey, you would too if you were suddenly being picked up by someone who had just disappeared and reappeared. Edward chuckled again, smiling at my shocked expression before setting me down on my bed. I blinked once, pondering at how quickly Edward could walk up stairs. I hadn't even felt him going up them. Wait a minute. . . How did he. . .?

"How exactly did you know where my room is?" I asked, failing at my attempt to keep my anger in check and out of my voice. Edward's smile disappeared, a frown replacing it. His expression changed to one that looked rather uncomfortable.

"Well. . ." he said, pausing to gauge my own expression. I fought to look calm. "You see, I. . . well, I've sort of been coming to your house every night for this past week. I was curious about you, and I found out that you're rather interesting when you sleep. You talk." He sounded smug be the time he finished talking.

"WHAT?!" I was shouting again, but I didn't care. I stood up, my clenched fists shaking and my eyes wild. Edward's expression swiftly changed from smugness to guilt.

"Are you upset with me?" he asked, his golden eyes penetrating. I shook my head a few time to rid the sensation of being turned to jello by his gaze. Somehow, I wasn't quite able to maintain the same level of anger as before.

"That depends!" I said. I sounded like I was choking. Edward waited a moment.

"On?" he asked, evidently trying to understand my sudden anger.

"What you heard!" I cried, exasperated. I sank back onto my bed, putting my head into my still shaking hands; the next thing I knew, Edward was in front of me, pulling my own hands into his, reaching up to tilt my head back so that he could see my face. His eyes were pleading.

"Please don't be angry," he pleaded. I tried to look away, but his scorching tawny eyes held mine.

"You miss your mother and you talk about 'home' a lot. When it rains, the sound makes you restless."

"Anything else?" I demanded. He knew what I was getting at.

"Well," he said, clearly reluctant to answer. "You _did_ say my name. . ."

I sighed in defeat. "A lot?" I asked; may as well get the worst over with now. . .

"What do you mean by 'a lot', exactly?"

I sighed, closing my eyes and pulling my hands from his grip, pressing my now cold fingers to my temples. I opened my eyes wearily.

"Can I have a minute?" I asked, slightly uncertain if he would stay. Edward nodded once. I got up and began to gather my pajamas and shower things. Before I could leave my room, however, I turned back around towards Edward. I noticed with a start that he was leaning by my window now, watching me, his expression unreadable again. Edward met my startled gaze after a moment of apparent thought.

"I'm afraid that I need to go, Bella. . ." he said, his blackened eyes making me feel suddenly on edge for some unexplained reason. I nodded weakly. This time, though, I was smart: I didn't blink. That did not, however, keep Edward from suddenly vanishing out of what I could only assume was my open window.

I sighed, shaking my head. Well, at least I could always talk to him on Monday at school. I turned and headed to the bathroom, intent on getting ready for bed.

I was, after all, quite tired. Edward wasn't that far from the mark with that assumption, at least.

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I hope that you like it! I know that this chapter wasn;t that great or exciting, but it had to be done. Trust me, the next chapters will be VERY interesting.

Head's Up: I know that I promised a long chapter, but I kept feeling guilty everyday for not posting something. So, here's what I have. Please keep in mind that I am currently trying to finish a book, two essays, finals, preparation for my trip, and all of my regular homework right now. Please, _please_ at least try to understand that I'm being stretched a little thin at the moment and that I cannot update as much as I'd like to!

Again, I hope that you enjoyed reading and that you will also enjoy my future chapters as much as I do writing them. : )


	8. Layered Up

**_Impotant Author's Note at bottom, please read! Until then, enjoy this chapter!_**

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By the time that I woke up, it was two in the afternoon. I went down stairs and made some breakfast (nothing special, just cereal) and sat down at the kitchen table, pondering what I had learned last night about Edward and his family. My mind was trying to force me to believe that it was all a dream, but there was something telling me that I could no longer deny that Edward was something more than human. After all, I wasn't that creative, and any sort of dream-Edward wouldn't have been able to answer my questions; how would I have been able to come up with the animal blood-drinking thing on my own?

So, I used my Sunday afternoon to catch up on all of my homework. By the time six o'clock rolled around, I'd finished all of my missed Calculus work, completed the Biology portion, and was almost done with English and History. I was so caught up in my work that I jumped when I heard the latch on the front door turning: Charlie must be home.

"Hey Bells! How was your day?" he asked, placing his vest and boots in the closet. I leapt to my feet as Charlie came walking into the kitchen.

"It was good. Sorry, I got so distracted with my homework that I forgot to start dinner. But I'll do it now, just hold--" I said, slightly flustered, while moving towards the oven.

"No, no, it's alright Bells, I'll just order in. Pizza good?" he asked. Charlie was already dialing the number into the phone, so I really had no choice but the nod and sit back down at the table. I went back to my work and finished it in record time, putting all of my books away as the pizza delivery guy was leaving.

Charlie and I ate in silence. It wasn't awkward or anything. It's just that neither my father nor I felt the need to fill up every silence with chatter. After I was finished eating, I went up stairs and took a long, hot shower, trying to force myself to think. I felt like I should be in shock or something; I had made the ground breaking discovery that Edward was a vampire that lived with a family of six other vampires, and yet I felt incredibly calm. Like I'd known all along.

After my shower was finished and I'd changed into my pajamas, I said goodnight to Charlie and got into bed upstairs. I still felt serene, and it made me strangely uneasy, like I was walking down the middle of a dark street with a blindfold on and with not apparent inkling of the dangers that could befall me. Like being run over by an unsuspecting car.

It was too simple for me to just accept the fact that Edward was a vampire. Dangerously simple.

I fell asleep after a few moments and woke up what felt like seconds later. I was surprised; I had expected to have an entire host of strange dreams about vampires and Edward, but I hadn't had a single dream at all. Maybe I really _was_ at peace with this. . .

I rushed around in my usual pre-school frenzy, throwing on a random sweater, pair of jeans, and rain boots. When I made it downstairs, miraculously unscathed if you believe it, I snagged an apple and the keys to my truck.

I groaned when I got outside. I'd only just remembered that I had no jacket and it was about to seriously rain, judging by the gray-black of the clouds. Honestly, it was a wonder that I'd woken up at all, it was so dark that it looked like eight o'clock at night , not morning.

I'd taken about three steps into the driveway when I froze.

_Edward_. Edward's Volvo was parked in the driveway in the now empty spot where Charlie's cruiser normally was, he himself leaning casually against the car, the barest hint of a smirk on his face. I stood, staring at Edward, for many long moments. I think it took me around a minute before I mentally slapped myself, silently screaming, _You look like an idiot just standing there and staring like and idiot! Move, darn you, MOVE!!!_

Blushing, I walked as quickly as I dared toward his car. Edward's smile only widened at my embarrassment. He was full out _grinning_ by the time that I got right up in front of him. I internally cursed my ability to blush. I frowned at him for a split second before he chuckled quietly.

It was the most wondrous sound I'd ever heard, like a chorus of singing angels. I gazed into his golden eyes in wonder, knowing that he couldn't _really_ be bad, even if he tried, he was just too . . . angelic.

I shook my head slightly, trying to clear the sudden fog.

Edward cleared his throat slightly, and I focused on what he was saying; "I came by to see if you wanted to ride to school with me today." He gestured unnecessarily to his car. At this, my temper flared up. I gazed up at him, an annoyed scowl on my face. Edward stared back at me, his expression just ever so slightly bemused.

"I am perfectly capable of driving myself to school," I remarked, my tone clipped. I did not, however, make any move towards my truck, and he seemed to take advantage of this. Edward smiled, his expression angelic. "Oh, I know, I just thought that I'd offer." With that, he shrugged and situated himself more comfortably on the side of his car. I cursed him internally, sighing in frustration in my mind. _I get the feeling that, somehow, he knew that I'd say yes. . . _

I stared up at him, my eyebrows raised, expression one of expectance. Edward gazed back at me for a moment before smirking and moving away from the passenger door. However, before I could get to the door, he opened it for me. I quirked an eyebrow at him again; Edward retaliated by making and absurdly low bow with much flourishing of the hands. I smiled, shaking my head, and finally stepped into the car.

It was warm, the gray leather interior calming, not too bright. Before my eyes could get much farther, my nose collided with a heavenly scent that seemed to emanate from the car itself. It was like the scent that had clung to Edward's jacket not-too-many night's ago, but more powerful and yet, more subtle. Like the leather had absorbed the smell from prolonged exposure to it.

I looked around suddenly, surprised; since when was the car moving? And when did I buckle my seat belt? I shook my head again, frowning this time. I had a feeling that I really didn't want to know. . . In an attempt at not thinking about how quickly the pavement was slipping by, I focused on the music instead, becoming surprised yet again, a feeling that I already didn't like and seemed to be experiencing quite a bit as of late.

"Claire de Lune?" I asked, incredulous. Edward's head swiveled around, his own expression just as bewildered as my own. "You know Debussy?" he asked, clearly shocked. I felt my cheeks burn a faint pink. "Not very well," I confessed, "I only know my favorites. My mom plays a lot of classical music around the house. I only know my favorites."

He dragged his eyes back to the road. "It's one of my favorites, too," he said, his expression unfathomable. It was strange: I felt like I both wanted and didn't want to know what he was thinking. I shook my head for the umpteenth time that morning, letting all of my confusing and conflicting emotions settle around me like a blanket. It took me a moment to realize that we were in the school's parking lot. I jerked my gaze around towards Edward to find him staring at me. My face far surpassed pink this time, instead turning a rather vibrant crimson by the smile that grew on Edward's face. I had a feeling that my face may never fade back to it's pale pallor.

It took me a moment to notice that Edward was holding something in his lap. It looked suspiciously like a--

"Jacket." Edward held it out to me. "I remembered that you lost yours a few nights ago, and Alice was kind enough to give me this one. It's too big for her you see. But I would have bought you one if I'd had to! I mean, I not-- and you. . ." Edward's voice faded off into an awkward silence. I had a strong feeling that, if he could, he would be blushing a rather shocking shade of scarlet. I took my 'new' coat from him, speechless for a moment. I looked back up to see Edward staring rather determinedly at the steering wheel.

"Thank you. For the coat and for not spending any money on it." Edward looked a little startled by what I said; and for some reason, I felt compelled to explain. "I. . . I don't like it when people spend money on me. It just makes me feel. . . weak. Powerless. Like I can't take care of myself. But I can," I murmured softly, my voice growing stronger as I continued. "I've been making dinner for myself and my mother, now Charlie, for years. I can do laundry, I know how to get a job. I _can_ get a job. In fact, I _will_ get a job." I glared at Edward with a sort of determined triumph.

Suddenly, I grinned mischievously. "And don't you forget it." Edward returned me with one of his own, rather impish, smiles.

"Yes, ma'm," he said, giving me a mock salute. I blinked, and he was gone, only to reappear, not even seconds later, on the passenger side of the car. He opened my door for me, still chuckling. I raised my eyebrows at him in a sarcastic kind of way and stepped out of the car in what I thought to be a dignified manner. However, I suppose it wasn't really dignified when I stepped in a puddle of the always-muddy ground and slipped, falling face first towards the ground. I waited for the impact, but it never came. Instead, I was. . .

Floating?

Then I became aware of the stone-like arms wrapped around my waist and stomach, making me hover at an awkward, semi-horizontal angle, about three feet above the ground. I felt first relief at not eating the pavement, then embarrassment. When Edward straightened me up, he took one look at my face and started laughing at my scarlet complexion. I guess that he held it in reasonably well; it looked a bit as if he was having muscle spasms. I hissed angrily and started sloshing my way across the parking lot. Edward caught up to me easily, matching my stride. Once we got to the cafeteria's shelter, I spun around to glare at him.

He was grinning like a madman; he seemed to find my anger _funny_, rather than crippling. Hardly the desirable effect that I was going for here.

I sighed, closing my eyes and shaking my head for what felt like the millionth time this morning. However, thankfully, a distraction approached in the form of Angela.

I liked Angela. Her father was a minister in the only church in Forks. She was, if you can believe it, a truly sweet person. She was somewhat quiet, but I liked it; she didn't feel the need to fill up every single silence with useless chatter. Angela is the only person, vampires aside, who I've met in Forks and actually consider a genuine friend.

"Good morning, Bella. . . Edward," she said quietly, offering us a timid smile. I don't know what she was thinking, but it made Edward's expression soften, his golden eyes becoming warm and liquid. I smiled in return, and Edward responded with, "Good morning to you, too, Angela. How are you today?" Angela started; I wondered if she, or anyone else outside his family and myself for that matter, had ever heard Edward speak, other than answering questions in class. But she recovered herself quickly, her smile growing to one of such brightness to rival the sun.

"I'm great! How are you, Bella? Edward?" We both told her that we, too, were great; I marveled internally at how I was suddenly so happy. It was a bit Hallmark-TV-movie ironic, but it was nice to be so. . . happy. Soon after, Angela rushed off to meet Ben, her boyfriend. Edward and I waved as she went. When she was gone, Edward leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"It's nice, every once in a while, to see someone who has honest thoughts. I've been going to school with that girl for two years, and never once has a mean, rude, or catty thought crossed her mind, unlike all of the other girls in this school." He repressed a shudder, and then continued. "Rather admirable choice in friends, on your part." Edward smiled down on me, and I smiled back up at him. Suddenly, however, he chuckled.

"What?" I demanded. He leaned back, putting his hands in his pockets and closing his eyes, now smirking, his expression smug.

"Look around," Edward responded, opening his eyes. They were sparkling with amusement. I took a furtive glance to my left and then did a double take, turning full around.

Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at us, a few of them opened mouthed. As the heat and color rose in my face, I began to wonder why I hadn't noticed the unnatural silence from the lack of chatter before. I became aware enough of my surroundings in time to register that Edward was no longer chuckling.

Instead, a low growl was emanating from the statue like figure beside me. I looked up into his flashing eyes, noting the slight difference in shade, from a light gold to a pale brown.

"Edward, what--?" I barely got the first part of my bewildered question out before a sudden touch on my right shoulder made me jump and whirl around.

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_**Author's Note:** Congrats, you've made it this far! So that means one of teo things; either **A)** you're going to be really nice and give me a review full of compliments and/or constructive criticism because you enjoyed this chapter and/or wish to help me better my story, or **B)** you're going to "rip me a new one" for not updating for so long._

_**I'd like to apologize for that.** I've been getting sick a lot this summer, so staring at a computer screen wouldn't exactly be best. Then I had my trip, I got back about a week ago, but I've been dealing with jet lag and post-flight sickness. I swear, everytime I spend the night somewhere, I get sick, and other countries (Australia) don't seem to be excluded. . ._

_**I also want to say that I take full responsibility for not updating.** My fault, I have no excuse, etc, etc. . . All that and basket of muffins. So, hopefully, you won't be too angry with me and will review with your comments and/or concerns._

_**And so, my dedicated readers and fans, I would also like to let you know that on August the 27th, I shall be entering into my sophmore year of high school.** Yes, the joy of school work. But really, I'm actually excited for the school year to start, exempting the fact that it will probably impede my from updating for. . . well, awhile. So, if you all would please forgive me if I cant update during September. . . or October. . . ().() _

_I'd greatly appreciate it._

_**NO flames**. Please Review, I want your guys' input and constructive criticism: )_


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